Dr David Main BVetMed PhD CertVR DWEL MRCVS

BVA Animal Welfare Foundation Senior Lecturer in Animal Welfare

RCVS Recognised Specialist in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law

History of animal welfare

education

2 Summary : History ?

• Where are we now ?

• Where have we come from ?

• Where are we going to ?

3 Animal welfare & veterinary profession

• RCVS Declaration :

– “I promise above all that …. my constant endeavour will be to ensure the welfare of the animals committed to my care."

• Guiding Principles from RCVS Guide to professional conduct

– Your clients are entitled to expect that you will -make animal welfare your first consideration in seeking to provide the most appropriate attention for animals committed to your care

4 Our challenge :

“ Our profession is, I am sadly afraid, at best a

conglomeration of highly trained technicians who have

been betrayed by being denied a university education.

Its corporate ability to understand the concept of animal

welfare is stultified by intellectual emasculation, and

adulterated by vested financial interests and egoisms.

Its contribution to the debate is, therefore, likely to

remain crass “

D.J. Coffey, Vet Times, September 1997

5 What knowledge & understanding is needed ?

• Appraise husbandry systems

• Inform clinical decisions

• Basic welfare science

• Clinical welfare assessment

• Manage ethical dilemmas

• Legislation / standards

6 What are we trying to achieve ?

: ∆ attitude ?

1st Year Final Year

Increasing Empathy Female

Male

Attitudes in vet students (Paul & Podbersbeck 2000)

7 Attitudes affects Actions !

0

20

40

60

80

100

Majo

r orth

opaed

ic su

rger

y

Oth

er o

rthop

aedi

c su

rger

yAur

al s

urger

y

Abdom

inal

sur

gery

Ova

riohys

tere

ctom

yC

astra

tion

% vets

usually

giving

analgesic to

dogs

Men

Women

• Male vets use less pain killers during routine surgery

(Capner et al, 1999)

8 Animal welfare education : Summary

• Welfare = good husbandry & clinical practice ?

• What is our impact on animals ? : Science

• How should we treat animals ? : Ethics

• How must we treat animals ? : Private / Public

Standards

9 University of Bristol :

Welfare & ethics teaching

• Year 1 – welfare & ethics element in animal management

– 10 lectures, 2 debates, 2 discussion sessions, written project

• Year 2 – behaviour

• Year 3 – farm welfare – 6 lectures group discussion,

• Year 4 – 1 lecture – clinical ethics, small group discussion

• Collaboration with Dorothy McKeegan Jennifer Duncan BVA Animal Welfare Foundation

– learning outcomes in science, ethics & law

10

Learning outcomes for Animal Welfare Science

Understand common definitions and concepts of welfaree.g. Five Freedoms

Aware of the range of welfare issues facing animal groups and understand why these differ- food animals, companion animals, experimental animals, zoo animals/wildlife

Understand scientific approaches to animal welfare

Understand the role of science in welfare assessment - physiological indicators of welfare and stress responses- behavioural indicators of welfare- immune/production indicators of welfare

Understand the role of science in examining specific welfare issues - transport, slaughter

Possess basic knowledge of animal behaviour theory and relate this to welfare- learning, motivation, sociality, concept of animal needs

Understand the concepts of animal sentience and cognition and how these relate to welfare

Understand the scientific basis of specific welfare insults relating to subjective mental states- pain (evolutionary approach), fear, boredom

Aware of the techniques and goals of animal welfare research and its contribution to legislative change

Aware of animal experimentation and its role in welfare research

Some knowledge of current welfare research activity *

Describe specific examples of welfare problems for each animal group *

Knowledge of historical approaches to animal welfare *

11

Learning outcomes for Animal Welfare Ethics

Identify common ethical dilemmas seen in practice

Explain and use a simple ethical decision making process

Make and defend an ethical judgement on common ethical dilemmas seen in practice

Comment on controversial ethical issues concerning animal use using a rational argument

Apply the following frameworks, Five Freedoms, Four principles and 3 R’s

Identify and analyse the views of relevant stakeholders

Explain the interaction between science, legislation and ethics

Explain the difference between professional etiquette and ethics

Describe the current ethical issues concerning the role of animals in society *

Aware of the principle ethical theories : utilitarian, deontology, animal rights, virtue ethics *

Apply and use an ethical matrix *

Explain the moral basis of informed consent *

12Learning outcomes for Animal Welfare Legislation / Standards

Possess basic knowledge of legislation relating to animal welfare :Animal Welfare Act 2006, Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulation (2007), Welfare of Animals Transport Order 1997, Welfare of

Animals at Markets Order 1990, Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995, Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, The

Animals (Scientific Procedures Act) 1986

Possess awareness of legislation relating to animal welfare in Zoos, Circuses, Wild Animals, Riding Establishments, Pet Shops, Dog Breeding Establishments

Understand the animal welfare obligations of the veterinary surgeon as defined in the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct

Welfare Enforcement : Roles of Individual Veterinary Surgeon, State Veterinary Service, Local Authorities & welfare charities

Understand the role of Veterinary Surgeon as an expert witness : technical expertise, evidence collection and methodologies recording of evidence

Possess understanding of DEFRA Welfare Codes and their use

Farm Assurance Schemes: Understand the principles, veterinary surgeons roles in the application of standards and approval/ certification

13 WSPA Concepts in Animal Welfare

• Teaching resource

• Veterinary schools

• 30 presentations

• Assessment material

• Projects & discussions

• Available from WSPA

• www.wspa.org.uk

14

WSPA Concepts in Animal Welfare

Animal Welfare Science Applications of Welfare Science

Animal welfare introduction Livestock: Welfare assessment and issues (1)

Welfare assessment & Five Freedoms Livestock: Welfare assessment and issues (2)

Physiological indicators of welfare (1) Livestock: Transport & markets

Physiological indicators of welfare (2) Livestock: Slaughter

Disease and production indicators of welfare Fish welfare

Behavioural indicators of welfare (1) Companion Animals: Population control

Behavioural indicators of welfare (2) Companion Animals: Wider considerations

Group assessment and management of welfare Euthanasia

Food and animal welfare Working animals

Animals in research, testing and education

Animals & Society Wild animal welfare & management

Animal protection legislation (1) Commercial exploitation of wildlife

Animal protection legislation (2) Animals used in entertainment

Human-animal interactions Environmental enrichment

The role of the veterinary profession

Humane education Ethics

Animal welfare organisations Introduction to animal welfare ethics

Religion and animal welfare Interaction with other ethical concerns

War and animal welfare Influence of the marketplace on animal welfare

Disaster management

15

16

WSPA “Concepts in Animal Welfare” – Asia updates 2009

Country Number of

vet schoolsExposure to CAW

resource

Attendance to CAW

workshop

Teaching AW in

curriculum

Bangladesh 6 Some Some Some

Cambodia 1 All All No

China 84 * Some Some Some

India 39 All Some All

Indonesia 8 All All Soon all

Japan 16 All All Soon all

Laos 1 All All Soon all

Malaysia 1 All All All

Mongolia 1 All No No

Myanmar 1 All No No

Nepal 2 All All Soon all

Pakistan 4 Some Some No

Philippines 18 All All All

South Korea 10 Some No Some

Sri Lanka 1 All All Soon all

Taiwan 4 All All Some

Thailand 8 All All Some

Vietnam 7 All All Some

17 Progress : Long & winding road

No consideration of animal interests

Full consideration of animal interests

Anthropomorphism is always bad

Critical anthropomorphism is useful

18 Progress : Content & method

Legislation / policy

Science

Ethics

Didactic / Lecture

Small group teaching

“Experiential “ learning

19 Experiential learning : year 1 / 2

• Can we improve the value from Extra-mural placements o

sheep, cattle and horse units ?

• Aim is to improve

– animal observation

– communication with farmers &

– Reflective analysis

20 Progress : AW concepts

Physical

Mental

Natural

Avoidance of harm (Five Freedoms)

Promotion of a “good life”

21

Naturalness

Physical states

Mental states

Five Freedoms : complete ethical framework ?

Freedom from hunger & thirst by ready access

to fresh water and a diet to maintain full

health and vigour

Freedom from discomfort by providing an

appropriate environment including shelter and

a comfortable resting area

Freedom form pain, injury and disease by

prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment

Freedom to express normal behaviour by

providing sufficient space, proper facilities

and company of the animal’s own kind

Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring

conditions and treatment which avoid mental

suffering

2222 What term best reflects your understanding of the

term animal welfare?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Mental Physical Natural Don't

know

% r

es

po

nd

en

ts

Vets

Students

23 Farm Animal Welfare in Great Britain

: Past, Present and FutureFAWC October 2009

• 9...Our proposal is that an animal’s quality of life can be classified

as:

– a life not worth living,

– a life worth living and

– a good life...

23

Quality (Qualities) of Life

• Hunger & Thirst

• Fear & Distress

• Pain, Injury & Disease

• Discomfort

• Restrict behaviour

• Pleasures

• Happy

• Play

• Exhibit normal behaviour

2424

25 Positive welfare : providing a good life

• 176 ..... An opportunity that would be considered to contribute to a good life would be a resource that

an animal does not need for biological fitness but is

valued (i.e. used) by the animal. Such an opportunity could also cause harm and this would

need to be minimised so as not to outweigh the benefits of the opportunity.

• Provided that all other conditions were equal, then

if an animal was to be provided with – and took -

such opportunities, then it could be said to have had a better life.

25

26 Progress : Drivers for AW Education

Policymaker (national & international OIE)

Student expectations

Trade requirements

“I have some doubt that new graduates are sufficiently prepared

to handle the difficult judgments and dilemmas that animal

welfare issues can pose.” Lowe 2009

“Welfare and ethics often seem like am “add-on” that should

have more time explicitly devoted to it.” Final year student 2009

27

2828

29Trade requirements : Vets need to understand & assess

critical welfare requirements

Tail docking *

The procedure may only be carried out where measures

to improve environmental conditions or management

systems have first been taken to prevent tail-biting,

but there is still evidence to show that injury to

pigs’ tails by biting has occurred.

Environmental enrichment **

To enable proper investigation and manipulation

activities, all pigs must have permanent access to a

sufficient quantity of material such as straw, hay,

wood, sawdust, mushroom compost, peat or a

mixture of such which does not adversely affect the

health of the animals.

* The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007

** The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007

30

Tail lesions - 95 % Confidence Interval & Mean

0

5

10

15

20

25

Far

m 1

Far

m 2

Far

m 3

F

arm

4F

arm

5F

arm

6

Far

m 1

Far

m 2

Far

m 3

Far

m 4

Far

m 5

Far

m 6

Sample : 10 pens Sample : 25 pens

Pre

vale

nce (

%)

Record present if any lesion is seen on the tail.

Include all lesions (swelling, fresh blood or scabs visible). Sometimes a good indication is a slightly swollen, hanging tail.

Look at the animal from behind. Investigate carefully if the tail is hanging, swollen or

shorter than normal. This could be done from outside the pen if visibility is adequate.

31Oral behaviour - 95 % Confidence Interval & Mean

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Far

m 1

Far

m 2

Far

m 3

Far

m 4

Far

m 5

Far

m 6

Far

m 1

Far

m 2

Far

m 3

Far

m 4

Far

m 5

Far

m 6

Sample : 10 pens Sample : 25 pens

"Pro

per"

in

vesti

gati

on

& m

an

ipu

lati

on

(%)

A / A+B

A : investigating a manipulable material or toy.

Include if the snout/ mouth is manipulating straw, hay, wood[chip], sawdust,

mushroom compost, peat (or other material that enables proper investigation and manipulation) OR in contact with an object/toy such as a chain or ball.

B : manipulating pen fittings or muck

Include if the snout/mouth is in contact with muck or the floor, fixtures or fittings of the

pen. Pay particular attention at feeders or drinkers to discriminate between

manipulation and eating/drinking.

32Oral behaviour - 95 % Confidence Interval & Mean

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Far

m 1

Far

m 2

Far

m 3

Far

m 4

Far

m 5

Far

m 6

Far

m 1

Far

m 2

Far

m 3

Far

m 4

Far

m 5

Far

m 6

Sample : 10 pens Sample : 25 pens

"Pro

per"

in

vesti

gati

on

&

man

ipu

lati

on

(%)

A / A+B

A : investigating a manipulable material or toy.

Include if the snout/ mouth is manipulating straw, hay, wood[chip], sawdust,

mushroom compost, peat (or other material that enables proper investigation and manipulation) OR in contact with an object/toy such as a chain or ball.

B : manipulating pen fittings or muck

Include if the snout/mouth is in contact with muck or the floor, fixtures or fittings of the

pen. Pay particular attention at feeders or drinkers to discriminate between

manipulation and eating/drinking.

33 Progress : Goal of AW education ?

Knowledge & understanding on AW issues

Communicate with AW issue

Influence human behaviour ?

Human behaviour towards animals

Current research theme

Future teaching priority ?

34

White line disease

Claw horn lesions / Sole Ulcer

Digital Dermatitis

Foul (Super foul)

Lameness : many different conditions & many different risk factors

35

Knowledge of

disease process

Knowledge of

husbandry risks

Farm specific

diagnosisFarm specific risks

Husbandry

Advisory Tool

Suggested control

measures with priority

: Must, should , could

Lameness in dairy cattle - DEFRA

Tail biting in pigs – BPEX

Injurious pecking in hens – Tubney Charitable Trust

36 Validation of Lameness

Control Plan

• Increase hazards

• Increase lameness

Lam

eness

pre

vale

nce

15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00 35.00

Total lameness risk score for all categories of hazard

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

Y1Y2

1.00

2.00

R Sq Linear = 0.356

Nick Bell, Matt Bell, John

Webster, Becky Whay, Toby

Knowles, David Main

DEFRA

37 Lameness intervention study conclusions

• Conclusions :

– Lameness control plan contained the “correct advice”

– Increased hazard – increased lameness

�www.cattle-lameness.org.uk

– But providing advice had minimal effect

– How do we motivate farmers to make husbandry changes ?

38 Motivations for lameness38

0 20 40 60 80 100

Desire to be better than other farmers

Farm accreditation at risk

Good public image

Lame cows lose money

Feeling guilty about lame cows

Feeling sorry for lame cows

Pride in a healthy herd

Percentage of farmers

5 extremely important 4 3 2 1 not important

Working towards a reduction in cattle lameness: 2. Understandingdairy farmers’ motivations Leach et al

39Co-ordinated implementation

strategy

Healthy Feet ProjectWorking together to reduce cattle lameness

40Reducing lameness in dairy cattle by implementing existing knowledge.

• Benefits and Barriers

– Knowing the benefits and barriers underpins the approach.

• Facilitation

– People are more likely to change their behaviour if they think it is their own idea.

• Norms

– People are more likely to change behaviour if they know others have done the same.

• Commitment

– Commitment is key to sustaining behaviour change

• Prompts

– Prompts act to remind people of agreed activities and help sustain the new behaviour.

Healthy Feet ProjectWorking together to reduce cattle lameness

41

Foot Hygiene

Walking Surfaces & Cow FlowStanding / Lying Time

Foot-bathing

42Look …….. & look again………..& think

43 Animal welfare education ….questions that need asking

• Think cow :

………..what are all its needs / wants ?

• Think farmer :

…………….how do we motivate change ?

• Think big :

…………how can politics make a difference ?